Book review 6

Trends 7,11,19,22

Fitness gear for travelers 7

Bien Venue 8

Team building is not a game 10

Loyalty 12-13

Chef’s Table 16

Hotel News 17

Datebook 18

VOL. 3ISSUE 4

A MONTHLY DIGEST TO INFORM, ENLIGHTEN AND HUMOUR MEETING PLANNERS

Years ago if you took the time toinvite customers to visit yourbooth at a trade show, they

showed up. Now, these same customersare inundated with show invitationsand deciding which exhibit to visit hasbecome a challenge.

Invitations do work for the exhibitorswho take the time to prepare a pre-showpromotion campaign. Here are somestrategies that will give more impact toyour show invitations.

1. Make the promiseThe look and feel of your invitation iscrucial. Think back to an invitation youreceived for some social event. Perhapsa wedding, confirmation or just a fami-ly get-together. The invitation not onlygave you the essentials - time, place anddress code, but the look and feel of theinvitation let you know what the overallexperience was going to be.

IN THIS ISSUE Your invitationsneed impact

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

What beat are they drumming to? SEEPAGE 4

May 2005Edition

Need to change your address?Email us at: info@theplanner.ca

Published by:

2105 rue de la Montagne, suite 100 • Montreal, Quebec • H3G 1Z8Telephone: (514) 849-6841 ext. 333 • Fax: (514) 284-2282

We welcome your comments: info@theplanner.ca

Editor: Leo GervaisAssistant Editor: Nathalie Caron

Proofreader: Keith MottonTranslator: Dominique Lamarche

Administration: Patrick Galvin, Julie BoisvertSales: James Paulson, Camille Lay

Contributors: Mike Auctor, Anne Biarritz, Thomas Chalmers, Peter De Jager, Robin Lee Kennedy, Aldo Mazza, Don Murray,

Barry Siskind , Harriet Wezena

The Planner is a monthly publication distributed to 11, 500 professional meeting planners across Canada and the U.S..

Poste-publication No. 40934013

Our Mission and GoalOur mission is to inform and enlighten meeting planners.

Each edition will have no more than 30 to 35 per cent advertis-ing (all of which will be informative) with the rest of the publica-tion dedicated to articles to help meeting planners in their day-to-day activities. Our goal is to give out the accumulated profit aseducational grants to planners.

There is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come.Victor Hugo

At The Planner we are trying to come up with articles thatcontain ideas, proven methods and a bit of humour to

help planners in their day-to-day work and life.From new hotel policies to survey results (see page 15) to

tricks and ideas, the Planner is always trying to find out whatplanners need to know. All of this is possible through your con-tributions and your telling advertisers you have seen or heardabout them through the Planner. So thanks for reading andproviding us with great feedback.

A good ideaNOTES FROM THE EDITOR

MAY 20052

Giving backEducational grants

Lesley Forbes

April’s winner of theLangdon Hall contest:

Congratulations to the lucky winner!

• Survey: Idealcars for planners

• New hotel policies

• Planning anevent in a tent

• Personalization

What would you like to read about?Please e-mail me at:lgervais@theplanner.ca

Comingin June

Ed. Note: The survey results are on page 15 of this edition.

Was the affair formal or casual? Was it filled with adventure ora more traditional approach? The invitation sets the tone andmakes a promise of things to come. You can excite your visitorsand whet their appetite or be just another show invitation theyreceive and ignore.

2. Be creativeIn order to keep your name and exhibit “top of mind” youmust capture the attention of those you are inviting. Here’swhere your creativity comes into play. You can add animation,clever graphics, catchy slogans, scratch and sniff features orholograms. The list is endless. Using your creativity means that there is a risk, but that’s whatmarketing is all about. Trying new ideas gets you a lot moreattention that sticking with the tried and true.

3. Include an incentiveThe incentive is an added motivator to ensure that yourprospect visit your display. This can take the form of a ballotthat is deposited in a draw box at your booth, a key that opensa door to win prizes or it could be a promise of a gift thatawaits them at the booth. These added incentives often spellthe difference between exhibitors that the customer wants tovisit versus those they must visit.

4. Send it more than onceOne invitation only puts you in the category of most of theother exhibitors. Multiple contacts keep you top of mind. Planto send the first invitation two weeks before your show areminder one week before and then two or three days prioryou can send an e-mail.There are other methods of sending invitations that should beconsidered. Ensure your field representatives are delivering invitations while making sales calls. Your customer service representatives should be talking about the show as part of everytelephone conversation. Anytime you or your staff come in contactwith the customer is an opportunity to reinforce your invitation.

5. Set appointments

Another great addition to your campaign is to use the invita-tion as an opportunity to set show appointments. This is a benefit to both you and your customers. No one wants to waitaround to have a few minutes of your time. But by pre-arranging meetings at your display you can increase youroverall booth traffic.

6. Measure effectiveness

Like all good marketers you need to measure the effectivenessof your pre-show promotion campaign. If you are using ballotsthen those you send ahead of time are coded to identify then aspart of your campaign. You can ask customers to bring the invi-tation with them to redeem a prize or simply ask visitors fortheir reaction to the campaign. The more information you gath-er the better position you are in when it comes time to decideon future campaigns.

7. Walk the talk

Remember that the pre-show campaign sets the tone andpromise. If your overall display doesn’t live up to that promiseall is lost. Successful exhibiting is a careful orchestration of allthe vital components of your exhibit plan. Pre-show promotionis one crucial step.

Barry’s newest book, Powerful Exhibit Marketing, is available in bookstores everywhere or visit his web-site at: www.siskindtraining.com.

MAY 2005 3

CONTINUED FROM YOUR INVITATIONS PAGE 1

The more information you gather the better

Laughter is the shortest distancebetween two people.

Victor Borge

MAY 20054

Drumming your way to a moresuccessful work environment

In recent years, there has been an increasinginterest in the creation of team-buildingevents spearheaded mainly by American

corporations. With statistically proven results,the most successful of these events are “drum

circles” or drum events. In fact, thousands of the world’s topcorporations and increasingly companies of all sizes, are nowregularly programming team-building interactive drum eventsin their conferences and meetings.

Here is how it works:

The drum circle is led by a professional drummer who is thedrum “facilitator.” Each person (employees and executivemembers alike) plays on a hand drum, frame drum or Africandjembe and is shown simple rhythms. No prior drummingexperience is required. From these basic rhythms, the facilita-tor orchestrates a number of different rhythms for the group toplay. The concept that each player has to listen and fit in his orher own part to be in sync with the ensemble is vital to this

experience and a powerful learning tool for the workplace.Participants learn that they HAVE to be part of the ensemble andmust not stand out or lead in any way unless they are put in thelead position (soloist). A soloist is then appointed by the drumfacilitator at various times during the session. Here are some ofthe many benefits of team-building events in the workplace:

Group energy is the key to team work!This unifying experience creates the perfect platform for

teams to experience the power of all working together toachieve a common objective. Participants experience the syner-gy in a constructive and collaborative way.˝Build your team... One Beat at a time”

Everything in a drumming orchestra must obey the baserhythm. There is always something in a company, in a team, ina group, that represents that base rhythm. It can be about acompany philosophy or company motto. The bass rhythm isthe thing that binds. In a drum circle, one builds differentrhythms in different sections, and when it is brought together,they form something greater than the sum of its parts.

BY ALDO MAZZA

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Group drumming is all about sharing,about listening to each other and aboutplaying to the same beat . . . It’s aboutmaking music together as a company.

Participating in an exercise in com-munication, effective listening skills andthe power of a truly synchronized teamhas great benefit for any business. Anyfeelings of isolation and dissent disap-pear, as the drumming experience bondsevery participant in becoming a motivat-ed and unified group. You have to be ateam in order for the barriers of age, cul-ture, language and gender to disappear.Similarly, you have to have “teamwork”to make music together. Companies aremade up of different rhythms. Thoserhythms may be made up of differentdepartments such as sales, marketing,administration, IT, accounting, etc.When those different rhythms are able toplay to the same beat, the same goals andvision and when those rhythms listen toeach other, then as a company we can allmake music together.

Energizing and boostingyour conference

Traditionally, drumming has beenused as a prelude to community func-tions. Drumming can be used to greateffect to both open and close confer-ences—drawing people together, cele-brating success and ensuring that thedelegates leave feeling invigorated andmotivated. At the beginning of a confer-ence, people are coming from differentareas within an organization and sometimes from different parts of the world.Corporate team building and entertain-ment facilitators get these gatherings offto a great start, by creating an energywhich in turn creates a bonding and abreaking down of barriers both vertical-ly and laterally. At the end of a confer-ence, it is important for the attendees toleave with memorable impressions, asense of accomplishment and a sense ofhaving had a good time. Having a drumcircle open or close your conference,allows people to leave with memorableimpressions of a sense of bonding and agreat time.

Why choose drumming?Here are the top 8 reasons:

1.Unity: Drumming is a powerfulexperience of unity for a group, it bringspeople together, and it is a common focus.It leaves people with a sense of belongingto a large orchestra. It is a unique way toget really large groups to do somethingvery enjoyable and interactively together.

2. Mental Shift: The effects of drum-ming on people’s mental state is veryprofound in that the focus, stress releaseand group energy after a team buildingdrum circle all add together to leave peo-ple feeling both stimulated relaxed andreceptive. This is a highly effective toolto create an ideal environment forspeeches and awards, for example.

3. Physical SHIFT: Drumming, being avery physical activity, can be a greatstress release. It breaks the ice and leavespeople feeling relaxed. It can be equatedto a meditation and therefore very reju-venating especially after hard work.

4. Fun: Drumming is simply a reallyfun way to do something together.Everybody will be smiling and in a greatmood. This form of corporate entertain-ment breaks the ice unlike any other. It’sa real celebration. People lose inhibi-tions, and allow them selves to experi-ence the moment.

5. Unique: Using drumming for a cor-porate entertainment or team buildingevent is very memorable since it is suchan unusual thing to do. Most people willhave never drummed before, and cer-tainly would not have seen a large groupformed into an instant orchestra. It’s agreat way to get a large group dongsomething that is truly together.

6. Skills development: Drumming is agreat way to highlight the learning of anew skill, and to be able to embracechange as the session evolves. Not only dopeople really learn to listen to each other,but they work in a cooperative rather thancompetitive way. It is a great way to feelthe way your group carries you, and thereis a sense of belonging. It is a great way toteach coordination to people, which isactually beneficial to them in their lives.The understanding of the importance ofrhythm in all areas of life can be a greatinsight. Left and right brain are used at thesame time which really stimulates creativ-

ity and increases concentration.7. Cultural Diversity: Drumming is a

great way to open people up to the beau-ty of diverse cultures. It is a universallanguage and therefore showcases thepower of diverse cultures. An entireevent can be done without saying a wordin English, French or another language,but using only body language .

8. Breaking barriers: Drumming issuccessful in groups of very diverse par-ticipants. Old young, male or female,any religion and in any language,EVERYONE can do it together and it is avery universal activity. In any company,it is healthy to do something togetherwith other departments where the play-ing fields are levelled.

Aldo Mazza is a recognized internationalartist and events organizer who just finished aten-day visit to Canberra, Australia where heperformed, gave clinics and master classes forthe World Rhythms Week at the ANU Schoolof Music. He is a percussionist, educator,events’ creator, artistic director of the presti-gious KoSA International PercussionWorkshops in Vermont, Cuba, and director ofthe KoSA Academy and World Music Centre.For more information and insight, please visitwww.kosamusic.com or email him at:info@kosamusic.com

MAY 2005 5

Companies have rhythms just like musicCONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

BY HARRIET WEZENA

If you lack the motivation andresources to exercise while on theroad, get ready to be armed with the

appropriate ammunition to stay fit dur-ing your travels.

“Fitness for Travelers: The ultimateworkout guide for the road” is the bookthat will help you adopt a workoutmindset for the road and shows youexactly what, where and how to sweat itout with ease.

Suzanne Schlosberg, author Of FitnessFor Travelers with the American Councilof Exercise, had the idea to write thebook after she struggled to find a gymwhile she was traveling in Morocco. Itwas borne out of the realization thatthere are probably a lot of travelers whocan use some guidance to overcome theusual workout obstacles on the road —lousy equipment, lack of motivation,time constraints, jet lag and so on.

The book is divided into four parts.Part one helps you overcome whatSuzanne refers to as the top five travelworkout obstacles which include: “I haveno time,” “I’m too jet-lagged,” “I’m tootired,” “There’s no equipment,” and “Idon’t have the motivation.” If you don’tseem to have the time, she suggests youshould workout early in the morning,work while working out like reading thatpresentation you are going to make, orexercise while you explore your newenvironment by walking instead of tak-ing a taxi. To minimize jet lag and tired-ness you should aim to arrive at yourdestination in the early evening (localtime) if possible, start your trip well rest-ed, drink plenty of fluids and as soon asyou board set your watch to the timezone of your destination and plan yoursleeping schedule accordingly.

Staying fit on the roadTo stay fit on the road, not only do you

need the right mindset, but also the rightstuff in your suitcase. A few well-chosenitems can mean the difference between

staying in shape and letting your fitnessfade way. Some of the exercise gadgetsmentioned in the book, according toSuzanne, will “…guarantee you a greatcardio or strength workout even if you’renowhere near a health club”. The threemust-haves are: an exercise tube, a jumprope and an inflatable kickboard andpull buoy.

An exercise tube, “is the most usefulstrength-training gadget you can pack,”Suzanne writes. If staying at a hotel,bring a door attachment and you canmimic all the cable pulley exercises youdo at the gym to work on your musclegroups in both your upper and lowerbody. For the jump rope, a speed-rope isrecommended because it is thin, lightweight and made of soft plastic andoffers you a great cardio workout.

Gyms and pools on the roadFor motivation and comfort, Suzanne

suggests you get a pedometer that meas-ures walking or running distance, aworkout log for instant gratification, aportable CD player, hydration pack andweight-lifting gloves.

So how do you find gyms, trails orpools on the road? When booking yourflight, ask specific questions about theavailability of a gym, type of equipmentand the hours of operation, advisedSuzanne. Look in the phone book under“health clubs” and “gyms”, use the inter-net to find national gym chains, ask theconcierge and locals. Check out thesewebsites of dominant chains—healthclub.com, 24hourfitness.com andgoldsgym.com – all with over 300 plusclubs in the U.S and worldwide. To findpools, check out the online guide forswimmers on swimmersguide.com.

Chapter four of the book “Eating onthe fly” focuses on nutrition and healthyeating. Schlosberg stresses the importanceof making healthy eating choices and eat-ing in moderation. To avoid gorging onjunk food at the airport, don’t leave homehungry; bring healthy snacks such asbaby carrots, grapes and energy bars.

In the absence of any weightmachines, Suzanne says, you can get adecent strength workout right in yourhotel room doing pushups, crunches, etc.So use your hotel room and do not go to“the hotel bar for a set of biceps curlswith the bottle of Amstel Light,” advisedSuzanne.

As a traveller, flexibility exercises canhelp you avoid much of the tightnessand lethargy that come from stayingimmobile in confined quarters. “You’llfeel invigorated and refreshed, and overthe long haul you’ll have better mobility,better posture, and a lower risk of backpain.” As guidelines, stretch as often asyou can, exhale as you slowly move intoposition, hold the stretch for at least 10seconds without bouncing, and stretchonly to a mild tension, never teeth-clenching pain. The shoulder, chest,neck, hamstring and hip stretches are thebasic. For a variety you can add somesimple yoga moves like the bending bear,the child’s pose, cat back and modifiedsun salutation.

The book also provides useful websites for the fit traveller such as where tobuy fitness products, health clubs, jogging routes, pools and fitness andnutrition information. They include the following useful websites: amazon.com,bodytrends.com, hydrofit.com, ymca.netand acefitness.org.

On all fronts, “Fitness for Travelers”comes to the rescue of who ever takes atrip: business travellers and vacationers,fitness novices and veterans, touristsgoing in the four-star route or those ven-turing around the cheap. No more excus-es to skip your exercise on the road, it isdoable.

• • •

Book: Fitness for Travelers: The ultimateworkout guide for the roadAuthors: Suzanne Schlosberg with TheAmerican Council on ExercisePublisher: Houghton Mifflin Company(April 29, 2002) Price on amazon.com: US $10.50

BOOK REVIEWFitness for Travelers by Suzanne Schlosberg

MAY 20056

Courtesy Charm Character Calm Cuisine - Canadian

Redefines life in the CountryLangdon Hall offers escape into a world of gracious hospitality, elegant amenities andexemplary service. An excellent meeting and entertaining venue. For 2005 AAA/CAAhas awarded Langdon Hall the coveted Five Diamond Award for dining.

Relais & Châteaux has set a worldwide standard for elegant hospitality defined by the five C’s. Now a select group within the family has added a sixth: Canadian.

LANGDON HALL IS ONE OF 13 R&C MEMBERS ACROSS CANADAWWW.RELAISCHATEAUX.COM

R.R. 33 Cambridge, Ontario N3H 4R8 519.740.2100 1.800.268.1898 www.langdonhall.ca

MAY 2005 7

Billions for B.C. More people are visiting British Columbia, according to

year-end Canadian tourism revenues. The westernmostprovince received nearly 22.5 million overnight international,Canadian and B.C. visitors who generated nearly $9.5-billionin tourism revenues last year.

“More international visitors discovered this province is theworld’s gateway to Canada and chose B.C.-based vacations in2004,” said John Les, Minister of Small Business and EconomicDevelopment and minister responsible for tourism.

He added there is renewed optimism, confidence and beliefin what they can achieve “during this golden decade for B.C’stourism industry.”

B2B becoming more prevalentStill think business-to-business sales on the Internet is a fad? Think again.

On-line sales by Canadian companies and governmentdepartments jumped by almost 50 percent in 2004 as compa-nies did more business with each other over the Net, StatisticsCanada reported recently.

Total on-line sales rose to $28.3 billion in Canada last year.The private sector accounted for 93 cents of every dollar ofgoods and services sold on-line, while the public sectoraccounted for 7 cents, the government agency said.

In related news, StatsCan also noted that almost eight outof 10 Canadian companies maintained a website last year. In2004, 37 per cent of Canadian firms had a website, up from 34percent in 2003. And almost three-quarters of the 17,000 enter-prises surveyed were using high-speed Internet, up from justunder 50 percent in 2001.

�Industry TrendsNew fitness gearfor the travelerBY HARRIET WEZENA

Ilove rope jumping but I hadn’t indulged in it for years until onlytwo weeks ago. At the gym I would rather sweat it out on the

treadmill or the stationary bike than jump rope because I get theinstant gratification of seeing my calorie consumption.

With the emergence of the Calorie Counting Jump Rope,after a-15 minutes session of rope jumping, you will knowexactly how many calories you have dispensed.

Its features, allows to reset/resume, enter your weight, time(workout alarm), laps, and displays your calorie consumptionat the end of your workout. The manual shows you in simplestraightforward instructions how to input all the necessaryinformation for your workout.

The counter and time will start automatically when youstart jumping. When the workout alarm is set, a “beep!” willsound when time is up. Three seconds after stopping the jump-ing, the calorie consumption value will be displayed. Fantastic!

It is made for your comfort and convenience, with its light-weight plastic rope and cushioned padded handles easy on yourpalms. It is battery powered and can be changed anytime. It willbe the perfect exercise gadget to have at home or on the road.

The Calorie Counting Jump Rope is distributed by SportsLeisure Technology Corp, Yonkers, NY and Star Case in the U.Sand Canada respectively. Both under license from Bally TotalFitness, a fitness chain with over 300 clubs across North America.For more information on this product, go to ballyfitness.com.

Is that a new skort?The new fashion trend for ladies in fitness is the running

skirt, or skort (shorts and skirt). Material has a 15 inch skirtwith a side slit and loose-fitting shorts underneath (US$70 invarious colours), available at www.materialusa.com. NewBalance offers the Andare Run Skirt, with a slightly flirtier A-line cut and a pieced V-shaped waistband, at US$45 throughwww.nbwebexpress.com.

He who hesitates is last.Mae West

Bien Venue... or how to choose a venue

They always saythat four eyes

are better then two,and that it is alwaysvaluable to havesomeone with a dif-ferent point of view

give their input. We can all look at thesame room and see totally differentthings dependent on where our perspec-tive lies. That is exactly why I believe it isimportant to get your audio visual com-pany involved early on in your decisionprocess when choosing a venue for yourupcoming meeting or event.

Of course, you could argue that I ambiased because I work for an audio visu-al company, but I would argue that myreasons are based on smart decision-making rather than bias. Who better tohave look at a venue that you need tofunction in a very specific way than thepeople who will help make that possi-ble? There are certain problems that canbe avoided up front but you must beaware of what you are looking for.

Your AV company should not only seethe venue for how it is but also for howit will be and what its limitations are. Itis of no real value to you as a meetingplanner to try to use a venue for some-thing it was not intended to be. There areno real bad venues, however there arevenues that not only pose challenges butwhich have very defined limitations.

When looking at a venue you mustalso look at what you don’t see. If thereare inadequate load-in facilities youshould be aware of that up front. If thereis no elevator or the elevator was notdesigned to transport equipment, thatwill be a problem if your event is not onthe main floor. If there is a need to have

an electrical drop or even a generatoryou need to know that in order to prop-erly budget for your event.

If the venue is booked either directlybefore or directly after your event thismust be planned out before. This willcause limitations in just how elaboratethe changes to the venue are. Time issomething you cannot cheat, and if youdo not have ample time allotted beforeand after your event you will have toadjust. Initially, choosing your venue isthe time to make certain of these detailsbased on what you intend to do there.

Sight lines are crucial if you intend tohave visuals. Windows, chandeliers, mir-rors, lighting, and ceiling height all play arole in considering what will work best.There are no shortcuts and just becauseyou do not notice something up frontdoes not mean it will not affect you later.What is the point of spending all thatmoney if people can neither hear nor seewhat you are trying to show because thevenue just isn’t working the way youintended it to work.

What I will see as an Audio Visualperson is in no way exhaustive, it is how-ever different from what you will see asa meeting planner. As you know, per-spective is always in the eye of thebeholder, and I believe in this case per-spective will prove to be invaluablewhen choosing a venue for your nextevent or meeting. My perspective maynot see everything from A to Z but it willcover A to V.

• • •

Don Murray is the Operations Managerfor Avtec Professional Audio-Visual Services.He can be reached at: dmurray@avtec.ca

MAY 20058

Sight linesare crucial ifyou intend tohave visuals

BY DON MURRAY, CMP

MAY 2005 9

www.conferenza.com When it comes to high-tech, you need to keep up ontrends, and one of the best places to do that is at confer-ences. But no one can attend every important conference,so how do you get the info from conference you don’tattend? Conferenza.com offers summaries of most big-time(and many not-so-big-time) hi-tech events, so you can workin the office but get the most out of the conferences just thesame. The site offers “event intelligence” on scores of recentgatherings. Each entry includes a review by a conferenceattendee, along with ratings based on “context,” “content,”“logistics,” and “schmooze.” And the site’s “EventNavigator” displays a scrolling list of upcoming confer-ences.

www.timeandplacehomes.comThis site offers exquisite homes and apartments available forshort term rental—for both corporate and vacationtravel.What makes them different? They offer a personalconcierge, specialized tours, a personal chef... in short, thisbecomes your Private Hotel. Their locations include:Nantucket Island (near Cape Cod); Palm Springs, Calif.;Naples, Fla.; and Paris France. They also have a newsletteryou can sign up for, and the site has lots of related stuff tonavigate through. Site is under renovation at the moment.

www.westin-hotelsathome.comHave you ever stayed at a really nice hotel and wonderedhow you could bring the terry cloth robe, the pillows, or thebedspread home? Well, now you can just order from WestinHotels & Resorts. This site offers a full line of products fromthe hotels, including the aforementioned as well as slippers,shower heads, a dog bed, and even a bridal registry. So GoWestin, young man (or lady) and you’ll find heaven (or some-thing close to it).

www.thecenterforhospitalityresearch.orgIf you are looking for information on the hospitality industry,this site based out of Cornell University in New York offerslots of data on many aspects of the industry. It recently citedTravelocity as the discount leader among travel websites, forexample. It cited Travelocity as the site with the lowest costand also the lowest variation in additional costs.

www.thetravelinsider.infoIn a world of billions of websites (with thousands more eachday), it is wonderful to find one with really useful contentabout travel that will actually help save you money. Look nofurther than the Travel Insider, a well-designed site run byformer Kiwi Dave Rowell who really has his finger on thepulse of what travelers need.

Websites of interest

There isn’t an employee in NorthAmerica who at one time oranother has not suffered throughthe indignities of “Team build-

ing” exercises. There is this weird myththat if we can play Monopoly™ togetherwithout killing each other, then this will

aid in our ability to work well together on a real life project.Unfortunately, team building isn’t a game.

Time and time again I hear people asking for “Team build-ing exercises”, usually with the added condition it must be fun.There is seldom any description of what the problem is, nodetails on how the team’s performance is not meeting expecta-tions, and certainly no explanation of what those expectationsare, just a pre-determined prescription to a problem yet to bediagnosed. If doctors operated in this manner, we’d all objectto being used as guinea pigs.

What is a team? A useful definition is comprised of threeparts. The first component is a well defined goal. The second isan identified group of people who wish to jointly achieve thatgoal. And the third part is a shared understanding of the rolesof each individual as they work towards that goal.

While simple enough, there’s enough complexity here tokeep any manager busy. Does everyone understand the goaldefinition in the same way? Does everyone really want toachieve that goal? And are everyone’s roles clear to everyone,not just the person with a specific responsibility?

On top of all of this, there is the reality that some goals aredetrimental to the career goals of certain team members. Facingthose realities, and balancing the books so all members benefitequally, will tax the problem solving abilities of the very bestmanagers.

In this definition of team, there’s something conspicuous byit’s absence… nowhere does it say that the team members haveto like each other, or even play well together. Although thattype of team spirit is always a bonus.

If a team isn’t working well together, then look first to the def-inition and find out what part hasn’t been explained properly.

Most of the time, teams that require a “tune-up” really onlyneed refocusing on the task.

There are occasions when people just aren’t working welltogether because of either intentional or unintentional interper-sonal conflicts. Occasionally the reasons people don’t workwell together are extremely mundane.

A case in point? A severely dysfunctional team was ‘fixed’by privately and politely pointing out to an employee that clos-er attention to personal hygiene would make it easier for peo-ple to work with her. No rocket science involved, certainly noteam building exercises, just a matter of uncovering the thingnobody was willing to talk about.

Before attempting to fix anything, finding out ‘why’ it isn’tworking as expected is a mandatory first step. Anyone facilitat-ing a team building exercise before understanding, or evenasking what the real problem is… is pulling a fast one.

Interpersonal conflicts can, and do, create dysfunctionalteams. When that happens, it’s time for some deliberately tar-geted “team building exercises”.

Even with a well defined common goal and clearly delineat-ed responsibilities, working with other people can be a bit dif-ficult at times. Let’s use myself as a slightly (only slightly)exaggerated example. I’m an impatient, highly focused, onetask at a time, get the job done now, dedicated problem solver.Place me in the same cubicle with a laid back, big picture, taskjuggling, next week is soon enough and oh! isn’t that interest-ing even if doesn’t have anything to do with what we’re work-ing on person… and the sparks will fly.

Unless of course we’re both aware we have different stylesof working, and that both approaches are useful at differenttimes, and we BOTH know we have to accommodate theother’s idiosyncrasies. If that’s the case, then we’ll work welltogether, even if we privately think the other is two knightsshort of a chess set.

If team members are having difficulty overcoming eachother’s personal weirdness, (sorry! I meant to say ‘workstyles’), then team building exercises designed to highlightwhy we’re different, and what we can do about it, can solvethose problems. Exercises that focus only on playing togetherand having fun, will do little if anything to solve real issues.

Team building isn’t a gameBY PETER DE JAGER

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Lufthansa takeover ofSwiss carrier will offeropportunities for points

Business travellers can look forward tomore opportunities to earn and redeemair miles following confirmation thatLufthansa will, indeed, take over SwissInternational Air Lines. The two carriersplan to dovetail their frequent-flyer pro-grammes, although no detailed timetablefor the move has been announced.

Meanwhile, KLM and Air France,which have already merged, are to com-bine their frequent-flyer programs inJune. Existing members of the airlines’schemes will retain their miles.

Finally, US Airways and AmericaWest Airlines are in advanced mergertalks to create a national low-cost airlinerivaling discount king SouthwestAirlines in size, according to recentmedia reports.

Obstacles to the merger include thefact that US Airways Group is in Chapter11 bankruptcy protection and other com-plications with some of its creditors. Inaddition, the two airlines’ unions wouldhave to agree to rules for merging theirmembers. But if a deal comes together, itcould be the start of a new wave of con-solidation in the airline industry whichhas suffered since 9/11 and struggledmore recently with pension costs andbrutal ticket-price wars.

US Airways is the seventh largest car-rier and America West is No. 8. The twoairlines posted a combined loss of US

$700.9 million last year on revenues ofUS $9.35 billion.

Low-cost air carriersmuscling in on majorU.S. network airlines

Low-cost airlines such as RyanairHoldings PLC and JetBlue Airwaysaccount for one eighth of flights world-wide, double the number from before theSept. 11 terrorist attacks and increasingpressure on full-service carriers.

Discount airlines now operate 12 per-cent of the more than 2.27 annual millionscheduled flights worldwide, according toU.K. –based Official Airline Guide. Thenumber of flights now exceeds the firstquarter of 2001, before the attacks battereddemand for air travel, the guide said.

As reported on Bloomberg News, com-petition from low-cost carriers contributedto combined losses of US $9.2-billion forU.S. network carriers last year. SouthwestAirlines, the world’s largest low-cost carri-er, is the only major U.S. airlines to remainprofitable since the terrorist attacks andearned US $133-million last year.

WestJet, others show lossesWestJet Airlines Ltd., Canada’s no. 2

airline, swung to a first-quarter loss as itstruggled with high fuel costs and lowerfares in the industry. WestJet is discontin-uing service to LaGuardia Airport effec-tive July 4, 2005. WestJet will continue tooperate two flights every business day

until July 4, 2005 when it will withdrawfrom the New York area.

For the quarter, the Calgary-based car-rier loss per share was 8 cents, comparedwith a year-earlier profit of $512,000 orbreak-even on a per-share basis.

Delta Airlines reported a US $1.07 bil-lion loss for the first quarter, also triggeredby high fuel costs and weak ticket prices.

Northwest Airlines was battered bythe same problems as its loss doubled toUS $450 million in the latest quarter, andAlaska Airlines parent Alaska Air GroupInc. reported that its loss grew to US $80.5million, also about double from 2004.

Discount airline JetBlue Airways sawits first-quarter profit tumble 54% to US$7 million but it has stayed profitablesince going public in 2002.

Visa fees to increase 1%Planners, get ready to pay higher credit

card fees when you travel abroad. In the past,MasterCard and Visa added a 1 % fee for con-verting the purchase from the merchant’scurrency. This surcharge typically didn’tshow up separately on a consumer’s credit-card statement but instead was added intothe transaction amount. The banks wouldalso add their own fees bringing the total cur-rency-conversion charge to as high as 3%, butconsumers didn’t pay the fee if they paid indollars that were converted at foreign mer-chants. Beginning in April 2005, Visa USAInc. plans to levy a 1 % charge fee on everycharge that’s made outside the cardholder’shome country. Mastercard will begin levyingsimilar charges in October, while AmericanExpress already charges 2 %.

� Industry Trends

The loyalty of people to other people, to institu-tions and ideals, has always been crucial to theconduct of an orderly society. Is it dying? No, thedesire to be loyal is just as strong as ever, butloyalty will never again be blind...

The audience at the seminar was made up of managers andprofessionals in human resources. The speaker was a well-known industrial psychologist from the United States. Thesubject was the new breed of North American worker. Themood was sober, if not downright grim.

The speaker reported: "It is more difficult [than in the past]for companies to motivate employees to identify with corpo-rate goals because they have no feelings of attachment to theemployer." He went on to cite research findings which indicat-ed that similar attitudes were prevalent among young peoplein their relationships outside of their work.

In fact, he said, they tend to shy away from lasting attach-ments of any kind, regarding their most intimate ties as beingsubject to severance unilaterally and without notice. How, heasked, could people with so little sense of permanence beexpected to dedicate themselves to a job they may easily leave?

In discussing this phenomenon, the psychologist made liberaluse of the jargon of his profession, referring to detachment, alien-ation, and disassociation. A less expert and more old-fashionedperson might simply have said that these people lacked loyalty.

But then, that same old-fashioned person might wonderwhether anyone under the age of 35 had ever heard the word,let alone grasped its full meaning. Looking around our society,it often seems as though loyalty has become obsolete, surviv-ing only as a quaint reminder of a more innocent age.

Even the terms used to describe it have an anachronisticring. The primary definition of "loyal" in the Oxford ConciseDictionary is " true, faithful, to duty, love, obligation ..." It hasbeen a long time since people have spoken of "being true" inthe sense of standing steadfastly by an ideal or a leader. It hasbeen equally long since "duty" has figured prominently in thecivilian vocabulary of the western world.

Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary reaches even furtherinto the past for its interpretation of what it means to be loyal.

Its leading definition of loyalty is "unswerving in allegiance."Derived from Middle French, allegiance originally meant theobligation of a vassal to his "liege lord" under the feudal sys-tem. In medieval times, that system was the dominant form ofsocial organization for countless millions of people in Europe,India, China and Japan.

Feudalism owed its very existence to loyalty. The highernobles pledged their fealty to the top ruler, the lower nobles totheir overlords, and so on down to level of the serf. In its purestform, feudal loyalty was an exchange of commitments.According to one historical account, when a fief or grant of anestate was formally conferred, "The vassal, kneeling before theoverlord, put his hands in those of the lord and declared him-self his man, and the overlord bound himself by kissing thevassal and raising him to his feet."

What the overlord "bound himself" to do was protect andgenerally look after the underling. The underling, in turn,bound himself to pay rent in money or kind to the estate, andserve in the overlord's cause in time of war. It was all based onthe theory that loyalty is a reciprocal affair.

No doubt the theory of feudalism all too commonly dif-fered from the practice. The loyalty of vassal to lord could besecured under brutal duress. Yet the system could not havebeen without its sincere practitioners among the barons whoheld the power. Feudalism was widespread, and it lasted formany centuries. If it had proved a bad bargain for the mass ofthe people it covered, more major revolutions presumablywould have occurred.

Not blind, but not good at seeing the otherfellow’s point of view

In any case, the concept of political loyalty which evolvedunder feudalism did not disappear along with the system. Today,in countries around the world, people continue to swear alle-giance in the age-old manner to the symbol of supreme authori-ty, whether a monarch, a president, a constitution, or a flag.

Loyalty is the key to an orderly society

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

MAY 200512

Familial ties and blind obedience

In the armed services and other uni-formed organizations, allegiances aredisplayed in emblems and ceremonies ofgothic provenance.

To a practical person, all this mayseem irrelevant and not to make muchsense; but it does, because loyalties arecrucial to the conduct of civilized society.They perpetuate the most important ofall human relationships, among couples,relatives, colleagues and friends. Theyserve as the guarantors of civil order. Incountries where oaths to constitutedauthority are not taken seriously, con-stant power struggles occur.

Flags, uniforms and the like are thevisible expressions of the pride peopletake in their associations. Human beingshave always drawn a good part of theiridentities from the institutions to whichthey adhere: their country, religion, etc.

Usually our institutional loyalties areto the representative agencies of othersof "our kind" - our compatriots, co-reli-gionists , people with a common ethnicbackground or compatible political opin-ions. The drawback to such commoncauses is that those who are not of ourkind stand to be despised, dreaded orhated in the course of forming faithfulrelationships with our associates.Loyalty has often been described asbeing "blind;" if it is not, it certainlytends to be incapable of seeing the otherfellow's point of view.

Nothing so seals the loyalty of oneperson to another as a common enemy.In time of war for a good cause or bad,loyalty becomes the stuff of valour.Unfortunately, it is also the stuff of thebigotry that so often causes wars in thefirst place. Short of actual hostilities, it isan ingredient in the poisonous racial andreligious rivalries that wrack so much ofthe world.

The belligerence associated with loy-alty is in keeping with the theory that ithas its roots in the family. In prehistorictimes, every family group had to protectitself against hostile marauders, if theywere not actually marauders themselves.

In circumstances of mortal peril, itwas imperative to be able to trustabsolutely in the others in the group.

So it was tacitly agreed that as head ofthe family, the father or grandfathermust enforce that trust by punishment ofthose who were disloyal or who weredeemed to be. The usual punishment fortreason was death, which shows howseriously loyalty was taken. Next to thatwas banishment, which drew its deter-rent effect from a natural horror of beingostracized as a traitor to one's kind.

When people transferred their famil-ial ties to political, economic or spiritualauthorities, the role of the patriarch aslaw-giver and enforcer was carried overinto the broader society. Thus the kingbecame the surrogate "father of his peo-ple," the priest dispensed parental bless-ings, and the company proprietor sawhimself as the head of one big happyfamily. Because these father figures wereseen to be responsible for keeping theorder that was necessary to the survivalof the community, the common folkbowed to their will.

The Scots and loyaltyThe trouble with patriarchal authority

is that not all fathers are good fathers.Fallible men are likely to extort obedi-ence by force and betray their trust. Anexample of this was once found in theScottish Highlands, where the peoplewere intensely loyal to their clan chiefs.An English observer in the early 18thcentury wrote: "The ordinaryHighlanders esteem it the most highdegree of virtue to love their chief andpay him blind obedience although it bein opposition to the government, thelaws of the kingdom, or even the law ofGod."

Originally, all the clan's lands wereheld in common, but later they becamethe property of its head, whose particu-lar family had risen to dominance out ofthe ranks of his relatives. An implicitunderstanding existed between him andthe clansmen. As John Prebble explainedit in his 1961 book Culloden , "If he hadthe right of life and death over his peo-ple, he was equally responsible for theirwelfare, and most chiefs honoured thisobligation. As landlord, father-figure,judge and general-at-arms his powerwas great, but it was not alwaysabsolute, and on occasions he would

debate major issues with the leadingmembers of his family and clan."

By the time of which Prebble writes -1746, when the clans made their forlornlast stand against the English crown atCulloden - many of the chiefs had cometo abuse their kinsmen's fealty. Nolonger did they consult on policy. Fortheir part, men were no longer necessar-ily willing to die for the chiefs in battle.Many who fell for the Jacobite cause atCulloden had been forced into serviceunder the threat of having their housesburned.

The final betrayal of Highland loyal-ty came gradually over the next century,as described in Prebble's subsequent vol-ume, The Highland Clearances . Oneafter another, the chiefs rudely evictedtheir kinsmen from their ancestral landsand replaced with them with more prof-itable sheep.

Ed. Note: This is the first in a two-partseries on loyalty.

Reprinted with kind permission from theRoyal Bank of Canada. Visit their website:www.royalbank.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

MAY 2005 13

Write Here. Write Now.

BY THOMAS CHALMERS

Afew years ago I met Harry Potterauthor, J.K. Rowling. In fact we

spent an afternoon together, talking aboutbooks. She has read mine, you know!

Allow me to turn back the pages . . . I have always enjoyed reading our sons abedtime story and although they are oldenough now to read their own booksthere are still occasions when I readsomething I know they’ll enjoy and welaugh till we ache: a joke book or anhilarious nursery rhyme or even one ofmy (hilarious?) articles. Children speakfrom the heart and I have always valuedmy sons’ comments and feedback. If youthink that you’re too wise to learn fromyour children – wise up!

In 1996, after having read a multitudeof bedtime stories, I had this notion thatmaybe I could write one of my own anddedicate it to the boys - something fromtheir dad that they would cherish andremember for ever. The notion became adesire . . . a dream . . . and one night Ijust sat down and penned a short chil-dren’s story about the adventures of afishing boat entitled, ‘Bobby Boat andHis Fishmates – The Big Catch.’ It tookme one night and it was one side of oneA4 page. And on the next night, I satdown and penned the second story,‘Bobby Boat and His Fishmates inTrouble at Sea.’

Having written the two ‘books’ I visit-ed my local library to find out what Ishould do next. I knew that my chanceswere slim . . . but I had a dream and thedream drove me.

With no experience of publishingwhatsoever I posted my manuscripts to aScottish Publisher who, to my utter

amazement, loved the characters, lovedthe stories and wanted to publish. It wasas simple as that. Within a year or so Iwas a published children’s author. I ded-icated the first book to our sons and thesecond to my wife, Liz, who supportedme throughout the process.

How may people say to themselves –I could write a book – and yet they neverdo, quite simply because, they never sit

down and put pen to paper?A friend once said to me that the most

difficult part of going out for a jog wasputting on his trainers. The analogy isaccurate. No matter how long the journey,you must be prepared to take that firststep: lift the pen, put on the trainers, say ‘Ilove you’, ask for the business, send theC.V., swing the club, join the club!

Making that first move is like jump-starting your car. You need to bring yourleads: your dream, your desire and yourenergy to the starting point. And believeme - once you have ignition, your pas-sion will drive you, so long as you focuson the destination.

Following publication of ‘Bobby Boatand His Fishmates’, I was invited to TheEdinburgh Book Festival along withanother two first-time-published chil-dren’s authors. We were to interact witha packed audience about our respectivebooks and our experiences of gettingpublished. Before the event, the othertwo authors received copies of my books,as I did theirs’ and one of those authorsturned out to be none other than J.KRowling! We had a superb afternoon andat one point Joanne Rowling told me thather daughter loved ‘Bobby Boat and HisFishmates.’

If you’ve always wanted to do some-thing . . . anything . . . but never takenthat first step then I urge you to do ittoday. Write here. Write now . . . beforethe writing . . . is on the wall.

Website: www.idealife.co.uk

FIVE-MINUTE LIFE COACH

MAY 200514

Making thatfirst move is

like jumpstarting a car...

What’s a PDA?

Jargon BusterTechno babble

demystifiedsponsored by

Avtec Professional A/V Services! PPDDAA:: Short for personal

digital assistant, ahandheld device thatcombines computing,telephone/fax, Internetand networking fea-tures. Sometimescalled smartphones. The first PDA wasApple’s Newton in 1993.

MAY 2005 15

Checking in on YOUR scheduleWith the current 24-hour retail economy that has evolved in the United States

and spread rapidly around the globe, many travellers wonder why many hotels arestuck in the Stone Age when it comes to their rigid checkins and checkouts.Technology is enabling hotels to get a lot more advance information on the sched-ules and preferences of arriving guests and that coupled with more hotel rooms isslowly changing the paradigm of the 3 p.m. checkin and 11 a.m. check out.

The United States seems most eager to brace this change, with Europe muchslower to get with the times, although some hotels in London are apparently gettingbetter. In addition, hotels are reportedly rethinking late checkout fees as “profit cen-tres,” especially since loyalty programs are so important to hotels in today’s market.

The Plannerasked its readers:

Should hotelcheck-outs be ona 24-hour basis?

58 % 42 %

YES NO

For more information call:Anne Stevens, Director of Sales

902.423.8887 anne@whitepoint.comwww.whitepoint.com

Where else but White Point Beach Resort can you play nine holes before breakfast,

accomplish your agenda, try surfing, then linger over freshly-planked salmon

and a glass of fine, local wine? Where else domeeting rooms have natural light and windowsthat open to greet fresh, sea air? White Point.

Only 90-minutes from Halifax, yet worlds awayfrom a culture that relies on words like;

traffic, hurry and elevator.

HERE, “HANG TEN” IS A BUSINESS TERM.

MAY 200516

Meeting“dans la

BY ANNE BIARRITZ

How often do you have to organize a dinner towelcome your clients, entertain a group oreven thank your work team?

If group dinners always seemed exciting at the begin-ning, the majority of these events seem to have one thing incommon: they can become boring. So how can you trans-form the typical dining episode into an enlightening andfun experience?

Rosemary Naccarato, National Customer MarketingSpecialist at Sun Microsystems of Canada, says that organ-izing a chef’s table is the best way to engage people arounda table. “I generally plan a chef’s table at the beginning orthe end of a big event to attend a corporate meeting orthank my team. The food is excellent and it is a nice treat foreverybody. A chef’s table is much more intimate and personalized and the price is usually worth the quality.”

So what makes a chef’s table so special?A chef’s table usually takes place in the kitchen of the

restaurant, in semi-private dining quarters. If this is not anoption, you can enjoy a chef’s table in the main diningroom or a private area,arranged especially for theoccasion. Many restaurantsoffer limited seating in theirkitchens, with the personalattention and company ofthe chef. What an honour!The chef’s table thenbecomes the center stage inthe theatre of the kitchen.Guests literally witness aunique gourmet show asthey are in the heart of the activity and enjoy a tailored andthemed menu that differs from the dining room menu.Although there is no specific number of guests required forthat type of event, a chef’s table is enjoyable for groupsbetween 2 to 30 people. If you want to have the benefit ofan exceptional quality food and the exclusive considera-tion of the chef, it’s best to treat a group of a dozen peopleat a time.

If you’re not familiar with the concept, Chef AlexAustriaco, from the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto, shareswith us his experience which turns his tables into real suc-cess. His custom-made menus can be created one to twoweeks before the dinner. During an interview with hisclient, he will inquire about the type of celebration, the allocated budget and the number of people attending.

Chef Austriaco will do his best to match the requiredatmosphere and will create a five to eight-course dinner.Originally, from the Philippines, his journey through sever-al world cuisines (Canadian, American and French) he illu-minates his guests’ table: refined dishes, contemporary cui-sine with exotic touches and his specialty, deliciousdesserts!

Each tasting has a culinary commentWhen the dinner occurs in a separate dining room, the

chef visits his table at every service, explains Loïc Chazay,chef at the restaurant Les Caprices de Nicolas in Montreal. He

says each tasting is precededby a short culinary commentthat will announce the select-ed products and the flavoursin the dishes. To reserve thebest quality products for hisguests, Chef Chazay willdetermine their preferencesand will personalize the dish-es offering the best of hisknow-how. Although being achef is a very demanding job,

his presence in the dining room with his guests is possiblethanks to his team who will be in responsible for preparing thenext creations. The quality of the food, number of services dur-ing the dinner and the wines chosen to perfectly match thefood will put the price of a chef’s table varies between $150 to$300 (or more) per person.

This unique experience allows the lucky participants tosee, smell and taste as the cook goes along. Although theguests don’t participate in the cooking themselves, theycome away with enough information to duplicate the Chef’sefforts in their own kitchen. The chef’s table is a fun andentertaining concept to dazzle business clients and friends.

For information and reservation, please contact The WindsorArms Hotel (416) 971-9666 in Toronto and Les Caprices deNicolas (514) 282-9790 in Montreal.

cuisine” is in

The Chef’s Table at the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto.

This unique experience allows thelucky participants to see, smell

and taste as the cook goes along.

Hotel News from around the world

A nickel and a suiteAnyone who presents a newly retooled Jefferson bison nick-

el can use it to pay for an upgrade from a standard room to aking suite when checking in to the Jefferson, a 100-room Loewshotel in Washington, on Friday or Saturday nights from June 3to Sept. 5 (subject to availability). Weekend room rates rangefrom $199 to $259 a night (normal weekend rates for king suitesrange from $419 to $689 a night). Prices do not include taxes. Fordetails, call the hotel at (202) 347-2200.

Hilton and Marriott showing a profitfor 1Q of 2005

Hilton Hotels Corp. said its first quarter profit rose 73 percent, mostly attributed to a recovery in business andleisure travel that fueled higher room rates. Net income rose toUS$64 million from US$37 million a year earlier. Hilton operateshotels under the Hampton Inn and Embassy Suites brands, aswell as its flagship hotels. It also owns star property the WaldorfAstoria in New York City, where the lodging recovery is thestrongest.

Marriott International, the world’s largest hotel chain, recentlyposted higher first-quarter results that beat Wall Street expecta-tions, as increased occupancy, which rose by 1.1 percent to 69 per-cent, lifted results. Income for the quarter jumped from US$145million to US$114 million. Analysts currently see a 2005 profit of$2.83 per share on US$10.65 billion of revenue. Marriott earnedUS$2.48 per share and had revenue of $US 10.1 billion in 2004.

Talk about Fancy Schmancy...The most expensive, hard-to-use hotel appliance—the in-

room telephone—is trying to make a comeback. With the adventof the cel phone, hotels are going hi-tech in trying to create aringy-dingy that guests will actually use, and pay for. HotelCommonwealth in Boston offers a cordless handset with a PDA-sized screen that guests can carry anywhere on the propertywith the same extension if they are repeat guests. It can also callup local movie times.

The Hotel Valencia Santana Row in San Jose, Calif. has a sys-tem that lets travelers troll around for weather and airline fares atno cost. Local calls are 75 cents, however. The Mandarin Orientalin NYC lets travelers in groups use its phones to conference eachother using VOIP (voice-over-Internet Protocol). VOIP typicallytransmits data over high-speed broadband connections).

Take it personal, please!Hotels are always trying to find an edge, a way to attract and

keep their customers, especially in the post-9/11 economy. Someexamples of recent innovations: A full hangover recovery pro-gram at the Loews New Orleans for people who imbibe toomuch in the infamous French Quarter (we’re talking foot creams,Alka Seltzer, and face mists); Intercontinental Hotels (which runsmany hotels including those under the Crowne Plaza andHoliday Inn brands) hired a doctor to design a program for jet-lagged guests that includes eye shades, scented oils, and drapeclips to keep the room pitch black; and the Scottsdale, Ariz. prop-erty of Toronto-based Fairmont has a golf concierge on staff whocan recommend courses and create an itinerary for those whoknow all work and no play makes any planner tired and grumpy.

Chateau Lake Louise makeoverThe Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in Banff National Park

has unveiled the first 106-room phase of a $12 million renova-tion . All of the hotel’s rooms and corridors on the eighth floor,as well as the fifth and sixth floors of the Barott Wing, werecompletely renovated (including air conditioning and new fur-niture, flooring and bathroom fixtures) over the past fivemonths.For more info, visit: www.fairmont.com/lakelouise/.

Monte Carlo Inn expansionCloser to Toronto, The Monte Carlo Inn—Airport Suites in

Mississauga is going through a major construction project. Builtin 1991, this property formerly had 64 rooms, a small restau-rant, and one small meeting room. They are adding 40 newexecutive suites, an 84-seat restaurant with winter garden and3,500 sq. ft. of meeting space. The project is set to be completedby June, 2005. For more info, visit: www.montecarloinns.com.

MAY 2005 17

MAY 200518

As an organizer of agolf tournament , youhave a legal respon-sibility and you must

take all the precautions to takecare of your guests. Recently,some companies have beensued and it is your responsibili-ty to offer ethical solutions toyour guests.

To that end, why don’t youforget golf balls and offer yourgolfers an innovative promo-tional article and nice giveaway:the Alco Tee. It is a small pack-age that includes a tee and abreathalyzer. The breathalyzer provides an accurate measure of theblood alcohol level in your body. By offering the Alco Tee, you can pro-tect your company against lawsuits and you will impress your cus-tomers or employees. In addition, you can personalize the Alco Teewith your logo and a corporate message like “ Don’t drink and drive.”

You can either give away theAlco Tee at the beginning ofthe day or put it in the plate atdinner time.

Whether it is MADD or ahuman resources association,we now suggest to be verycareful when alcohol isserved. The Alco Tee is a cer-tified product ISO 9001 andhas been marketed for morethan five years . The test isconfidential and done withintwo minutes. It is a unique andinnovative product manufac-tured by a company that hasbeen the official supplier to

many provincial governments and police departments around theworld.

For more information : 1-800-361-1771 Or visit our web site at www.alcotestquebec.com

Alco Tee : a tee for the first hole and a breathalyzer for the … 19th holeA D V E R T I S E M E N T

Upcoming Events MAY 26International Association ofConference CentersAmazing Meetings: Discover theMagic, Englewood Conference Resort& Spa, Itasca, Ill. www.iacconline.org,(314) 993-8575.

JUNE 12-14Association for ConventionOperations Management, SummerLeadership Conference, Wynn LasVegas, Nev. www.acomonline.org,(609) 799-37124.

JULY 9-12Meeting Professionals InternationalWorld Education Conference, MiamiConvention Centre, Florida.www.mpiweb.org, (972) 702-3000.

JULY 11-15Trade Show Exhibitors AssociationTS-2 The Trade Show About TradeShows, Washington (D.C.)Convention Centre, D.C.www.tsea.org, (703) 683-8500, ext. 221.

DATEBOOK

f a m o u s l y e n t e r t a i n i n g

One Front Street East, Toronto

DON QUARLESFood and Beverage Manager

416.393.7457donq@hummingbirdcentre.com

MARK HAMMONDDirector of Programming

416.338.8854mark@hummingbirdcentre.com

Visit www.hummingbirdcentre.com or Contact

CANADA’S LARGEST SOFT-SEAT THEATRE …18,900 sq ft lobby and 3223 soft-seat theatreperfect for Business Meetings, ClientEntertainment, Product Launches, MotivationalSpeakers, Press Conferences, Receptions,Graduations, Trade Shows, Weddings

…AND GREAT SHOWS!

�IndustryTrendsMore good stuff, less spam

For the first time in four years, theamount of unsolicited email (spam)declined in 2004 a recent survey by Ipsos-Reid said. Tougher anti-pornography laws, stricter guidelinesgoverning electronic marketers,increased use of spam filters and agrowing unwillingness by Canadians toopen junk mails are credited with thedecline.

Unfortunately, spam is still alive andwell: In the final quarter of last year,Canadians received an average of 177emails per week, 87 of which, or 49 per-cent, were spam the report said. But it’sstill better than 2003 when 134, or 68percent, of the weekly average of 197 e-mails were spam. The amount of spamhad been doubling every year since2001, when there were only 30 spammessages a week.

Can cold cause a cold?No. A cold is caused by a virus. In the winter you

may feel cold, but you won’t catch one. But of courseyou can freeze to death in the cold from overexposure(hypothermia).

Hypothermia is the lowering of the body’s tempera-ture to dangerous levels. Few viruses can survive in theair for more than a few minutes after being expelled bythe human body, especially in cold weather.

However, if you are exposed to cold weather youmust burn more calories and use more energy to keepwarm. This energy loss and drain upon your body couldlower your immune system defenses against whateverviruses with which you might have come into contact.

Destination Plannercomes of age in T.O.Tourism Toronto first inNorth America to go digital with a CD-ROMdesigned to assist planners and operators

Tourism Toronto recentlyannounced the launch of itsnew digital destination

planner — Digital Toronto —specifically designed to meet theevolving information and serviceneeds of its meeting professionaland tour operator clients. Thiseasy-to-use digital tool has every-thing meeting, convention andleisure trade professionals requirewhen considering GreaterToronto as a destination. TourismToronto is the first convention andvisitors bureau in North Americato partner with desktop softwaredevelopers MultiView to createsuch a tool.

After careful consultation withits client advisory board, TourismToronto addressed an industryneed for up-to-the-minute infor-mation online and off with thenew Digital Toronto desktopapplication. Replacing the tradi-tional printed destination plannerwhich becomes outdated almostas soon as it’s distributed, DigitalToronto is an updatable, search-able tool that clients can take withthem from office to boardroom tohotel room.

“Our clients have asked us for anew way to keep up to date onGreater Toronto’s constantly evolv-ing products and experiences,”said Bruce MacMillan, Presidentand CEO, Tourism Toronto.“Digital Toronto is an innovative,remarkable tool that will keep ourcity top of mind, at their fingertips_ and that bodes well for our mem-bers and community.”

Easy access to allToronto has to offer

Distributed as a CD-ROM,Digital Toronto will allow plannersand operators to obtain essentialtravel information, search aTourism Toronto member productand services directory as well asprint off information sheets andevent calendars at the click of abutton. Once installed on a user’sdesktop, Digital Toronto provideseasy access to all that Toronto hasto offer including monthly updatesand, when online, direct connec-tions to products and services onthe www.torontotourism.com site.

Digital Toronto is currentlybeing distributed to TourismToronto members and clients andis available through an onlinerequest form in the MeetingPlanner and Leisure trade sectionson Tourism Toronto’s useful web-site, www.torontotourism.com.

Tourism Toronto is the officialdestination-marketing organiza-tion for Greater Toronto’s tourismindustry. Tourism Toronto focuseson promoting and selling thegreater Toronto region as a remark-able destination for tourists, con-vention delegates and businesstravellers. Officially operating as anot-for-profit association, TourismToronto has over 900 members andis a partnership of public and pri-vate sectors.

To reach Tourism Toronto call (416)203-2500 or visit our website atwww.torontotourism.com.

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PEC-Europe 2005 in MonacoBY NATHALIE CARON

Monaco is a principality of 197 hectares and 32,000 inhabi-tants on the shores of the Mediterranean, and it can wel-

come major meetings and conventions thanks to its 22,000rooms, seventeen palaces and hotels and 170 restaurants.Monaco is also known as the Capital of Luxury, and the mostelegant boutiques can be found in the famous Gold Circle inthe heart of the city. The Grimaldi Forum is the renowned mod-ern convention centre, replete with multi-function meetingrooms and an esplanade equipped with the latest technology.

After 18 months of preparation, the Monaco chapter of MPIofficially welcomed its first delegates on April 10, 2005 for theannual PEC-Europe 2005 that was held at the Grimaldi Forum.Even with the national mourning for Prince Rainier, the record-high 515 delegates benefitted from the educational and net-working opportunities available.

The first networking event was held during a dinner cock-tail at the HSH Prince Rainier Antique Automobile Exposition.Laurent Perrier Champagne and wine accompanied succulenthot and cold appetizers of Asian and Mediterranean origin. Itwas a great start to what ended up being a great conversation.

On Monday morning, the PEC-Europe began with thefamous breakfast show, and the two hosts joined John S. Parksof Leadership Synergies, LLC to discuss and explain CareerPathways which allows, among other things, for MPI members

to follow their career path. Another person explained the col-laboration of the offices of meetings and tourism for theAmerican market and how MPI supports the future of theindustry through the future leaders forum.

A variety of sessionsThe sessions covered many subjects like creative potential,

how to be more efficient, starting your own business, trends inthe planner-supplier relationship, doing business in America,site selection (presented by Karen Massicotte of Calgary), corporate language, the trend towards commercialization ofevents, changes in the European Hotel industry and strategicmanagement of your accounts.

The delegates met for the lunch prepared by the chef of theFairmont Hotel Monte Carlo who acquired this property aboutthree months ago. Les Oiseaux du Paradis gave two performanc-es from their repertoire, an elegant aerial ballet on a rotatingmat invented by the two performers.

No networking activity had been scheduled before theFoundation Party that evening, which was cancelled due to thepassing of the Prince.

The delegates met the next morning for sessions including onehalf-day executive path session for relatively experienced planners to skillfully interact with senior executives.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 21

It was the first time that training at this level had been offeredin Europe. The subject dealt with procurement and ROI.

The breakfast was sponsored by the upcoming host chapterof the PEC Europe 2006 in Davos, Switzerland. A snow-cappedmountain summit appeared in the middle of the room, andboxes of chocolate were on every table, the Swiss flag was pro-jected onto the walls of the room as well as a film of the amaz-ing Swiss countryside. During the meal, a speech was given bytwo representatives of the Swiss chapter extolling the merits ofSwitzerland and its inhabitants and why we must ABSOLUTE-LY participate in the PEC-Europe in 2006 in Davos. The lastnetworking event of PEC-Europe 2005 was the gala dinnerthat took place in the Star Room of the Sporting Club of MonteCarlo.

Throughout the conference I asked delegates whom I spokewith whether or not they enjoyed their participation in thePEC-Europe and everyone confirmed they totally enjoyed it.

One Swedish planner told me she worked most of the timein Sweden for her clients, however she appreciated exchangingwith other planners to compare the problems inherent in everycountry. For many, networking was the key aspect of the PEC.

The next MPI event to take place will be the WEC 2005 inMiami from July 10-12, 2005. For more info: www.mpiweb.org.

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Planners enjoyed a variety of sessions

Monaco was the site of the PEC-Europe 2005.

SALES/MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE

THE COMPANY:Established in 1987, Paul Chacra Entertainment Inc. is a leader

in providing high quality entertainment services for specialevents in the Corporate /Convention milieu as well as the Social and Private sectors.

THE CHALLENGEYou are career oriented with a proactive attitude.

You will be involved in the following:• Booking different types of entertainment

such as live musical groups.• Developing entertainment concepts and packages.

• Participate in the development of marketing tools such asmulti-media and promotional materials.

• Nurture and further develop existing relationships.• Develop new business.

• Expand and develop roster of entertainers and services offered.• Event management.

THE CANDIDATE• Resourceful and proactive in nature.

• Experience related to the event/entertainment industry.• Bilingual.

• Superb communication skills (oral and written).• Sales and Marketing experience.

• Computer literate.

CONTACT US AT :Tel : (514) 747-7245 or Fax : (514) 747-9916

C A R E E R S

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P R O F E S S I O N A L

E D U C A T I O N

TETLEY LAWYERS

• Investors• Entretrepreneurs• Skilled workers

Tel:(514) 875-0805Fax: (514) 875-4999

tetley@cyberglobe.net

• Work permits• Study permits• Caregivers

Immigration to Canada & the U.S.A. for

Vacation with vocation: VoluntourismLooking to do more on your vacation than sit on the beach

drinking margaritas or seeing the Big Mouse? There’s a newtrend for people who want to actually accomplish somethingwith their leisure time: voluntouring. Half cultural immersionand half international aid, voluntouring allows those keen tovolunteer their skills and labour to experience far away lands inthe process. The average short-term trip costs about US $1,000.Recently, a group of eight Americans and Canadians visited Peruto work with more than 60 deaf and mute children at an orphan-age in Cuzco, the capital. The youngsters were taught job skillsthat they could use for future sustainability and the voluntoursbeautified the lacklustre courtyard by repainting the games, fixing the swing set, and providing a new volleyball set.

If you want to voluntour, contact the following organiza-tions: Globe Aware (www.globeaware.org), which offers one-or two-week voluntour vacations in places like Peru, CostaRica, and Thailand; Habitat for Humanity (www.habitat.org)builds homes for the poor; Earthwatch (www.earthwatch.org)gives its voluntourists a chance to assist scientists in the field.

White Lie aimed at womenThis month, Napa Valley vintner Beringer Blass Wine

Estates will be launching a new label aimed directly at womencalled White Lie. The US $10 chardonnay will debut in 12states at stores like Albertsons, Wal-Mart, and possibly Target.An all-woman team at Beringer, after learning that 80 percentof U.S. wine purchases are made by females, decided to har-vest grapes early in the season to create a low-calorie winewith less alcohol. The new label is backed by a US $2.7 millionmarketing campaign. The name was developed as a means ofbreaking the snob barrier so prevalent in wine, making it funand accessible, said Tracey Mason, Beringer’s Director ofInnovation in a recent press release. For more info, visit:www.whiteliewines.com.

New travel gear for plannersThere are new products constantly being put on the market

for travellers, but here are two that caught our eye:The Easy Spot Universal I.D. is designed to identify any

item with your personal marking. The bright colours makeany item easy to spot and pick out as yours. Easy Spot offersan easy way to identify your personal belongings. Easy Spothandle wraps work perfectly for any item with a strap or ahandle including luggage, laptops, camera and CD holders,backpacks and anything else that needs to be identified asyours. It retails for about US $12.99.

The SearchAlert is a new re-settable combination lock thatoffers two unique innovations in luggage security. SearchAlertcan be opened with a device used by the AmericanTransportation Security Administration to avoid having yourlocks cut off your bag during security screenings. The locksalso have a security window that changes colour when over-ride devices are used. It retails for US $9.99.

Visit www.protravelgear.com for more information.

Leadership in Project Management

Project ManagementJune 15 - 17, 2005

This seminar explores proven techniques to create effective project teams, meet critical

deadlines and avoid cost overruns. Learn how to set realistic budgets and schedules in the

project planning stage, and the importance of human relations and communications

throughout the project life cycle. You will also benefit from the instructors’ diverse knowl-

edge and personal experiences in managing projects within numerous industries. Conforms

with the internationally recognized framework and terminology of the Project Management

Institute and represents 21 PMI® professional development units.

Faculty of ManagementMcGill University1001 Sherbrooke Street West, 6th FloorMontreal, Quebec Canada H3A 1G5

T 1 514 398 3970 or 1 888 419 0707

F 1 514 398 7443 or 1 888 421 0303

E executive@mcgill.cawww.executive.mcgill.ca

�Industry Trends

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